Midnight Confessional
by Mr. Frank
Summary: "You didn't tell me this game involved poisoning me," Korra said, frowning as she sniffed her drink. "It's not poison," Asami laughed as she mixed her own drink. "It's alcohol." Or the time that a drinking game turned into a heart-to-heart. Oneshot.


So I just saw BobLoblawLawBlog's story "Never Have I Ever" on AO3, which is an adorable idea of the Krew playing said drinking game. Because I've been on an angst fest lately my mind took this person's fun idea and made it...introspective D:? Anyway, I hope they don't mind me spring-boarding from their lovely fic with this one. Setting is some time between books 1 and 2ish. Let me know what you think!

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Korra leaned her chin on her hand, nudging the glass in front of her.

"Are you sure this is a real game?" she asked Bolin, who was sitting beside her with his own glass. "I've never heard of it before."

"Of course it is," he said, smiling. "It's the perfect game for breaking the ice with people."

"But I don't _need_ to break the ice with you. We're already friends. Really good friends. At least, I think we are."

"You think?"

"I haven't decided yet," she said as Asami settled beside her, an oddly shaped bottle in hand. "It depends on whether or not you guys are trying to trick me."

"You caught us, we're tricking you," Asami said, all bright smiles. "You've discovered our dastardly plot to get you to have some fun."

"Ha ha," Korra mumbled, while Asami and Bolin laughed.

"Come on guys, don't pick on the Avatar," Mako said as he joined them, a different bottle in hand. This one was familiar, filled with the pink colored fruit juice that Korra loved but only Bolin and Mako seemed to be able to find at the markets. She shoved her glass towards Mako, who rolled his eyes but filled it regardless.

"Ah ah, not so fast," Asami said before Korra could have a drink.

"What?"

"You're not ready yet." Asami pulled the glass from her hand and poured into it from her own bottle. The liquid inside was clear and pungent, and seemed to settle at the bottom the juice. Asami swirled the glass with her hand and handed it back.

"You didn't tell me this game involved poisoning me," Korra said, frowning as she sniffed her drink. The light, fruity smell mixed with the new one. The result wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but it didn't stop Korra from pouting over her ruined drink.

"It's not poison," Asami laughed as she mixed her own drink. "It's alcohol."

"Sorry, my mistake," Korra huffed. Bolin laughed, taking the bottle from Asami.

"Don't worry, it won't ruin the juice," he assured his friend. "It just helps make the game a little less awkward."

"Less awkward?" Korra frowned, her suspicions against her friends increasing. "Why are we playing a game that's awkward if you don't drink? Why don't we just do something different?" The others waved her off with assurances of 'it'll be fun!' and 'you'll see!'

Korra simply clutched her glass and scowled.

"Okay, ready?" Bolin asked as Mako finished preparing his own drink. The firebender's expression was one of intense concentration as he measured out the clear liquid. His brother rolled his eyes and kicked the table, causing Mako to dump a solid serving of the alcohol into his glass. A small wrestling match ensued, which eventually resulted in both boy's glasses filled to the brim. Their strong smell made a vaporous cloud over the table that left all four of them blinking.

"Are you going to be able to drink those?" Asami asked.

"Yeah, sure," Bolin said, puffing out his chest, while Mako shrugged a nonchalant, "No problem."

Asami flashed Korra a look that said _doubt it_, but otherwise refrained from comment.

"Alright then. So, Korra, the rules of this are pretty easy. The game is called 'Never Have I Ever' because on your turn you simply say something you've never done before. Anyone who _has_ done it has to take a drink."

"What if no one has done whatever it is I didn't do?"

"Then you take a drink," Mako said.

"And if someone else says they've never done something and you have, you take a drink."

"Sounds easy enough," Korra said with a shrug."

"It is," Bolin assured her.

"I'll start," Asami said, holding up her glass. Her expression pulled into a thoughtful pucker and she hmm'd for a moment. "Never have I ever…bent an element."

"Seriously? That's cheating," Bolin huffed, Mako scowling beside him. They took their first drinks in unison, followed by simultaneous hacking sounds and furious blinking as they were reminded of the strength of their drinks. Korra hesitated, staring down into her own glass. Asami gestured encouragingly, so she screwed her eyes shut and took a sip.

It…wasn't that bad, actually. The usual taste of the fruit had changed, and a buzzy kind of burning lingered at the back of her tongue after she swallowed, but otherwise she found it palatable. Bolin, still grimacing, gave her a thumbs up, while beside him Mako began to hem and haw.

"Never have I ever," he began, his gaze shifting slyly to his brother, "robbed a pet store."

"That was a search and rescue mission, not a robbery," Bolin huffed, though he took a drink regardless. "Never have I ever been able to firebend." Mako pulled a face, he and Korra taking diligent sips.

"Never have I ever, uh," Korra tapped her glass, glancing between her friends. "Played this game before today?" Three glasses lifted beneath three scowling faces.

"Never have I ever had an animal companion." Judging by the look she was giving Mako, Asami had hoped to catch him in her selection, but Mako simply declared loudly that 'the rat's not mine,' while Bolin and Korra clinked their glasses in a toast to their furry friends.

"Never have I ever had a Satomobile," Mako said, grinning as Asami took a drink. Korra frowned at them both as she realized she was getting caught in the crossfire of everyone's jabs. Bolin must have noticed her frustration and took pity as he said,

"Never have I ever had a younger sibling."

Mako took a proud swig of his drink at that one, while using his free hand to punch Bolin in the arm. Korra smiled at them and said, "Never have I missed a winter festival." Three glasses rose up, and as they came down Asami was already saying,

"Never have I ever broken a bone."

Three glasses came up again to drink to the memories of broken fingers and cracked ribs.

"Never have I ever lived in a mansion."

Asami scowled and drank alone.

"Never have I ever crashed a satomobile."

The girls shrugged and sipped.

"Never have I ever _not_ been the Avatar."

"Seriously?" Mako asked. Korra just blinked innocently back, and the table drank. Asami ran her finger along the edge of her glass thoughtfully.

"Never have I ever moved to a different house than the one I grew up in." Once she said it she looked up sharply, suddenly realizing that her choice might have come off as unkind. Bolin and Mako seemed unfazed, actually looping their arms before drinking. Korra drank with them, thoughts of a small, snowbound hut on her mind.

"Never have I ever kissed a boy."

Korra and Asami rolled their eyes, only to sputter their drinks when Bolin drank with them. His cheeks flushed but he refused to say more, and Mako's expression said that, now he had finished harassing his brother, he too would reveal no more.

"Never have I ever kissed someone while dating someone else." Mako narrowed his eyes and drank, pointedly ignoring the women to his left. Swirling her drink, Korra said,

"Never have I ever been arrested. More than once!" she added quickly. Once again Mako and Bolin raised their glasses to each other and swigged.

"Really?" Asami gasped. "How many times—" she paused, looked at her glass, and then said, "Never have I ever been arrested at least…five times?" Bolin flashed his brother an apologetic look as Mako drank alone. Korra and Asami looked at one another, struggling to hide conspiratorial grins.

"Never have I ever been a girl," Mako said with a huff. They giggled and drank, drinking again when Bolin added a, "Never have I worn a dress."

"Never have I been a boy," Korra said quickly, followed by Asami's "Never have I founded a pro-bending team."

"Never have I been the Avatar."

"Never have I owned a company."

Korra and Asami swallowed the last of their drinks, the former ruminating on her next question as they refilled their glasses. Mako's arrest history interested her still, so she claimed, "Never have I ever worked for a Triad." Shock returned to Asami's face as both brothers took a drink. She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out how to pry further. Korra was pretty sure that there wasn't a rule stopping people from asking questions about other people's answers, but she kind of liked the new game that was evolving either way.

"Never have I ever stolen money?" she tried. Twin grins flashed back at her, and she ended up being the one to drink. Her lack of success frustrated Korra, who started thinking of a response as Mako, eyes narrowed, offered his counter attack.

"Never have I ever always had someone to make me dinner."

Asami squirmed a little, glancing at Korra as they both sipped their drinks. Bolin simply quirked an eyebrow at his brother. After a moment he offered a quiet, "Never have I had to raise someone else." Mako held his brother's gaze as he finished off his glass. As Bolin refilled it Korra, emboldened by her drink and the brothers' honesty said,

"Never have I ever not had a home to go to."

Mako didn't look at anyone as he drank. Bolin looked like he wasn't going to, unreadable gaze trained on Mako, but eventually he too drank.

"Never have I needed to take a job for money," Asami said. A faint bitterness hung in her voice that Korra couldn't understand until she remembered she'd never had to work for money either; she'd never _needed _money until she'd come to Republic City. The boys' drank and then sat silently.

"Never have I ever…" Mako's gaze fell on Asami, "had to battle my own father to survive." She sipped from her glass, eyes downcast. Bolin's gaze traveled from her to Korra.

"Never have I had to maintain balance for the entire world."

A lump formed in Korra's throat that she struggled to swallow past.

"Never," she cleared her throat, "Never have I lost a parent." Three glasses lifted and thumped back down.

"Never have I saved a life."

Bolin stared hard at Mako until the Firebender finally took a drink, while Asami did the same to the earthbender. They then all stared down Korra until she too had raised her glass to her lips.

Mako glared into his glass, jaw working as he thought of his next question. Already his cheeks were flushed with drink, and maybe that was what fueled his whispered,

"Never have I ever almost died on the streets."

Korra's lips opened in a small, surprised 'oh,' and a glance at Asami verified the same expression on the girl's face. Bolin was scowling. He and Mako exchanged a quick volley of looks, a quiet scolding or a silent argument on the semantics of 'almost died,' and then the younger brother took a drink.

"Never have I…" Bolin narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping the table. "Had anyone but family take care of me." The girls took a drink, glancing at one another. Korra thought of the compound in the Southern Water Tribe, and said,

"Never have I ever had friends before you guys."

Three smiles answered her. They all drank to that one.

"Never have I," Asami said slowly, "been as happy as I am here with you guys."

"Never have I believed that my life could be as good as it is right now."

"Never would I give up you guys for anything."

Korra and Asami took a moment to puzzle through that one, but then Mako raised his glass and they all followed suit.

They stayed up late into the night sipping drinks as they circled the table, demanding details about criminal records, and whispering painful memories of a childhood that wasn't, and holding back tears as they tried to come to terms with everything bad that had happened and everything good that could.

The morning found them huddled by the apartment's tall windows, puffy eyed but smiling as arms curled over shoulders and they leaned into one another's embrace to watch the sunrise. Golden light, warm and heavy with promises of hope and new beginnings, washed over them.

They welcomed it, together.


End file.
